Vision - November/December 2008 - (Page 46)

$ $ eye oN busiNess Motivational ideas for the Ce industry ] • [ by Chris aMos Today, where a company’s social and environmental record is as well known as its P&L statement, it’s a topic you cannot ignore. What approaches work best? Any potential pitfalls we should avoid? CEA forecasts a modest gain in CE holiday sales this year. This translates into a challenging holiday selling season and increased competition for fewer customers with less to spend. These customers will place an even greater premium on value, forcing your staff to work even harder to earn their business. Now is the time to motivate your employees, and contests are a great method to achieve this. The challenge of effectively and consistently motivating employees is omnipresent. And in today’s economy where resources for incentives are limited, it’s necessary to be creative in developing them. Cashbased awards—money, retail gift cards, gift checks—are no-brainers. But what do your employees value beyond money? With increased commuting time and rising gas prices, an opportunity to telecommute or secure an additional paid day off is like money in the bank. Vacations are more expensive than ever, so incentives involving travel (airline, train or hotel certificates) fare well also. As the economy tightens, incoming leads may become scarce, so develop an award involving increased access to them. If you “round robin” leads, offer top performers bonus leads when their turn comes. Whatever your award approach, make sure that the goals associated with them are SMART—specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. There are few things more discouraging to a sales team than dangling a carrot that is completely out of their reach. Also, you may view contests as a means to bolster your bottom line, but they also should be used to strengthen camaraderie and build morale. Form teams among your staff where they do not exist. And if teams do exist, break them up and pair the individuals with others they have not worked closely with before. Also tie awards to the performance of the entire team. Send questions to camos@CE.org. • www.ce.org C Make a Green Difference hris Amos takes over for Dan Cole’s “Eye on Sales” column this issue and will continue to take your questions on how to motivate your staff and increase your sales success. As senior manager of business development at CEA, Chris has more than 14 years of experience in the trade show, consumer electronics, technology and insurance industries including managing a major CES territory. Everyone’s talking green, but this time it’s about the environment, not money. How do we incorporate social responsibility into our programs? The “green” movement has spawned a wave of involvement from businesses, and a renewed consciousness toward social initiatives that go beyond the environment. Some efforts involve the development of environmentfriendly products and technologies while others focus on business operations and practices. You may not have considered how your business can make a difference but today, where a company’s social and environmental record is as well known as its P&L statement, it’s a topic you cannot ignore. 1) Determine your organization’s environmental impact. Do you know how your business processes affect the environment? What areas could you address to achieve a more environmentally responsible status? ISO 14001 is an international standard that specifies a process for identifying, controlling and improving an organization’s Chris Amos environmental performance. Consider pursuing certification under this standard. 2) A company’s most valuable asset is its employees. Feed into their enthusiasm by encouraging and rewarding volunteerism. At Panasonic, employees participate in Walk America which benefits the March of Dimes and have raised more than $450,000 for the program. In Mexico, HP employees planted 600 trees as part of a restoration project. Many companies even offer paid time off as a benefit, specifically for volunteer and charitable work. 3) Choose your vendors wisely. Every company you do business with has some impact on the environment. From the shipping company that burns tens of thousands of gallons of diesel fuel per week, to the packaging company that produces nonbiodegradable packaging materials. Seek out those for whom environmental and social contribution is a priority and encourage others with whom you already work to adopt new initiatives to retain your business. 4) Aim for efficiency by evaluating the small things involved in the everyday operation of your business. Install energy efficient appliances, plumbing, computers and other electronics within your office. For example, you could install low-wattage, energy-efficient lighting fixtures. Aggressively encourage recycling and leverage technology (e.g. teleconferencing, Webex) to reduce travel. Shakirov/Getty Images We want to hold a sales contest for the holiday selling season. 46 November/December 2008 http://www.ce.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vision - November/December 2008

Vision - November/December 2008 Contents Shapiro's Spectrum In this Issue The Economist C4 Trends Going Global Visionary CES Unveiled Eco-Intelligence Is Vital in a Sustainable Global Market XGP— A Game Changer Enhancing the Tech Experience High-Definition Decade Public-Private Partnerships CEA Newsline Tech Speak Tech Policy Eye on Business Market Insider Just the Stats

Vision - November/December 2008

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